Puzzle Pieces
by innerbunny
Summary: They've always been together, from the very beginning. HieiXOC
1. The Beginning

**HELLO EVERYBODY! Innerbunny here. I just wanted to say, I don't own anything in the Yu Yu Hakusho universe! The only thing I own in this story is my OC. I appreciate reviews, though I'll honestly say that I'm writing this for myself. I find Hiei/OC stories on this site lacking. As such, even though I'm not the greatest author, I'm going to make my own.**

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It's like you're screaming, and no one can hear

You almost feel ashamed

That someone could be that important

That without them, you feel like nothing

No one will ever understand how much it hurts

You feel hopeless; like nothing can save you

And when it's over, and it's gone

You almost wish that you could have all that bad stuff back

So that you could have the good

-Opening monologue to Rihanna's _We Found Love_

Within just hours of having been tossed from the floating city, they had found him. They took him in, raised him. One year later, to the day, they found another. Or, rather, another had found them.

In the middle of the night, she had walked passed their guards, unnoticed, to his tent. They found her the next day, her tiny body curled up with his, his gem clenched in her pudgy fist. Fluffy red hair covered her face. Tiny horns only just beginning to grow poked out above her ears.

They didn't know what to do with her. Another mouth to feed, another child to train, seemed to most to be just an irritation. The Leader, however, saw promise. He didn't know how she had gotten passed those he had on watch, but he wanted to. His mouth watered with thoughts of the treasures they could get, if only he trained her. And so, he did.

They weren't a kind group of creatures. Any slight mistake was met with beatings. And she, it seemed, to always be making mistakes. Each night, when he returned to their tent, as they had soon become inseparable despite the leader's threats, he would scowl and order her to show him her most recent injuries so he could bandage them the best he could. One day, perhaps three years later, he found her beaten nearly to death. It angered him, to say the least. He confronted the Leader, demanding to know why. The Leader just laughed, said she was weak, useless. The Leader didn't laugh long, though. It is quite difficult, after all, to laugh when your throat has been ripped open. He quickly took care of the rest of the bandit camp, leaving for last the one who had done the most recent damage.

He went and got the girl, supporting most of her weight as he led her to the waiting demon. She looked up at him, confused, until he handed her the rusted knife he always kept on his person. Her eyes hardened, determined, as she turned to the tied up demon. There was no torture. She didn't throw him around, didn't break any bones. She didn't slice his skin from his body, no matter how much it would have pleased her. No, she merely leaned in, smiling, and sliced his throat.

She looked up at her friend, being nearly a head shorter than the already small demon. "Hiei? Did I do well?"

"Hn." A smirk was thrown her way as he lead her away from the destroyed camp.

They spent the next year wandering, killing any demons to come their way. Many were attracted by the tear stone Hiei always wore on display. Within just a year of their travels, Hiei had grown in strength, becoming an A class demon. At the young age of five, he had become more powerful than most could ever hope to be.

Soon, many demons came to fear him. They rejected the two at every turn. They were not let into the small demon towns without threats of death. The Tear Stone, once an object to attract opponents, became a source of peace. Fate, however, is a cruel bitch. During a fight with a fairly large and powerful demon, Hiei lost the stone. Once he had killed the demon, the two of them searched the area, but were unable to find it. They vowed to find it, even if it took until their dying breaths.

They spent years searching unsuccessfully. Eventually they stumbled across a strange man with many piercings, one going through his lip and the other through his head along with three along the left side of his jaw. A large scar cut across his face, his grey hair pulled up with the use of a bright blue bow. Shigure was his name, and he offered Hiei a way to find his precious stone. He would implant a false eye, the Jagan, into his forehead. His price? Hiei's life story.

The surgery was extremely painful. She sat in the corner, covering her ears to try to muffle his screams. Finally, after six hours, it had finished. A perfect fit, Shigure had said. It had taken a lot of energy from Hiei to receive, and drained his body until he was a lower D class. Shigure, however, was a decent demon. He offered to allow the two to stay with him and to teach them how to fight so they could survive even without Hiei's strength.

During the months they trained, Hiei decided he would not only find the stone created from his mother's tear, but also the village which had discarded him when he was just a babe.

They found the village within a few days. It seemed a frozen wasteland. A constant blizzard blew through the village. The women that inhabited it emotionless. Their cold eyes watched the two as they explored. Slowly, Hiei's hatred melted to pity. These women didn't need to be destroyed. The best revenge, in his eyes, was to leave them as they were. With their frozen hearts and uncaring dispositions, they were hardly living as it was.

They searched for Hiei's mother, only to be met by another. "You're looking for Hina? I'm sorry, but you won't find her. She died, years ago. She committed suicide after her son was killed. She fell into a depression, it was just too much for her." the woman's eyes watered. "She left behind her other child, a daughter. The poor thing."

Hiei's eyes sharpened. "Where is the girl?"

"Yukina left a few years ago without telling anyone. I assume it was so she could search for her twin brother." He glared at the woman in front of him before turning around to leave with his companion. "You're him, aren't you? Please! Please, kill me! The guilt has been horrible, all these years. Seeing the light in my best friend's eyes dim each day since I was forced to throw her son over the edge."

Hiei paused for a moment, considering. Then turned silently away, leading his companion.

They returned to Shigure, wishing to continue their training. "Manea." The young demoness looked up from her katas.

"Yes, Hiei?"

"I've decided. We will stop our search for my stone." Manea smiled at him, not needing him to continue to know he wished to find and protect Yukina.

And so they searched. They traveled great distances, never finding the young demoness. Eventually, their search brought them to the Human World.

* * *

The demon Eight hands laughed as he watched Manea struggle against her bonds while trying not to move the girl tied to her. The human girl he had taken that morning was still unconscious, and had a few deep cuts that were rather worrying. They were lucky at the moment; Eight hands had eaten a large meal only the week before, and as such wasn't hungry yet. He like to have a snack on hand, though, should his meal digest faster than usual.

Eight hands didn't notice, at first, the two forms that crept up on him from behind. It wasn't until a thorned whip wrapped around his throat and a sword pointed at his nose that he realised the two were there.

"Where did you put the girls?" a smooth voice questioned. Eight hands growled, and the young human with shockingly red hair and emerald eyes tightened he whip on his neck. "Please answer my question. It would be much easier on us if we didn't have to search for them."

The demon merely laughed, standing far quicker than thought possible with his large form. He sent Hiei flying with a flick of his wrist, smashing an elbow into the human's face at the same time.

Hiei growled, launching himself at Eight Hands. He managed to cut off two arms before he was knocked away once more. The human took advantage of the distraction to once again lock his whip around the demon's neck, not hesitating this time to finish the creature.

The lair, they found, wasn't large. It was, in fact, a cave made up of only two caverns. The main area was where they had fought, and there was a small opening behind a large stalagmite which led to one which was much smaller. It was there the girls were found. Bound, gagged, and stripped of most of their clothing.

Hiei and the human rushed over, removing their bindings and covering them. Hiei, upon seeing the human's eyes wondering, drew his sword and pressed it against his throat. "Kurama."

Kurama averted his eyes, "I was only trying to check her for injuries. I would never trespass on another's territory." Hiei sheathed his sword, helping Manea to stand. He wrapped an arm around her waist, moving one of her own around his shoulder. As they exited the cave he held her, perhaps, a bit closer than usual.

* * *

"No, Hiei. I won't take part in this. It isn't a good idea! Stealing from Spirit World? You know you won't get away with it!" Manea ran her hands through her short red hair as she paced, avoiding her large, curving horns.

Hiei glared at her from his spot in the tree she paced in front of. "Manea. There will be no problems. I've already recruited Kurama. You should trust me a bit more, don't you think?"

Manea groaned, stopping and facing Hiei. "It's not that I don't trust you, Hiei. You know I do. I just don't understand! Why do you suddenly feel the need to create an army? Aren't I good enough?" Tears fell from her eyes.

"If you will not help me, then I don't need you. I will find another to take your place." And, with that, Hiei disappeared.


	2. Genkai's Tournament

**Hello again! I know it hasn't been long, but I'm hoping to not be one of those people that take forever to update, though I make no promises. Especially if I never get any reviews. This next chapter doesn't really contain much Manea, and has absolutely no Hiei. But, I'm just setting up for Manea. Please, if you notice any mistakes, let me know. I wrote this at two in the morning. Also, I own nothing to do with the Yu Yu Hakusho universe. Most, if not all, of the dialogue in this chapter came from the English dubbed episodes, since I wanted this part to be as close to the anime as possible. So, in close, please don't sue me, I'm broke.**

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Manea wondered for days. Humans looked at her strangely. Though her human form hid her horns, the clothing she wore as well as her multiple facial piercings meant the petite girl stood out in a crowd. Black fishnet tights encased her legs, disappearing into knee-high black boots. A short grey skirt with a wide brown belt graced her hips. A white button up shirt, ending slightly above her navel, and a short sweater vest were covered by a black duster coat. The bridge of her nose was pierced in two places. A ring pierced through her septum, a spike poking out of her upper lip on the right side. The center of her bottom lip too held a small ring, a small blue crystal dangling from it. Her mismatched eyes, the right being a crimson and left gold, caused anyone brave enough to enter into eye contact to glance away almost immediately.

All in all, many of the humans she passed stared. Mothers grabbed their children and some younger, female humans that were dressed in blue sailor uniforms crossed the street to avoid her.

"What is a demon doing wandering around a human city, looking like a kicked puppy?" A low, rough, female voice quietly called from Manea's right. She jumped, not having felt the woman approach her. Looking over she saw a woman, about an inch shorter than she was. The woman was older, her hair more grey than pink and her skin wrinkled.

"I'm not sure. I think I was looking for my friend, at first. And I can't find a way back home. I guess I'm just… Lost." Manea crossed one arm over her chest, gripping the other arm tightly. The old woman looked at her, seemingly deep in thought. Then she nodded.

"Come with me. I'm planning to take a student soon, and I have need of an assistant. You can clean and take care of my training areas, if you would like. Just stay out of my way, and we'll have no problems." Manea's face lit up and tears pooled in her eyes. "And no crying."

Manea wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, "Of course! I'm Manea. It's absolutely wonderful to meet you!"

"Genkai."

For two months Manea cleaned and repaired the dojo. She replaced cracked pillars, waxed the floors, and painted the entire room. Genkai taught her how to cook, as well as giving pointers on how she could improve her stances when training.

Sooner than she had hoped, her time alone with the psychic was interrupted. Genkai announced her desire for a student to the world, and on the beginning day the temple was flooded with those desiring her power.

Genkai had known there would be many, and as such decided on holding a tournament. There would be four stages. First, a "lottery". Genkai had created small papers which, if the possessor had a high enough spirit energy, would turn red, thus allowing the competitor to continue forward. Second, an arcade which tested the awareness, strength, and growth of the spirit energy of each competitor. Third, she made them run through the forest. The forest was filled with demons, traps, and wild animals more violent than in any other. Many, upon feeling the ominous energy of the forest, turned and ran. Manea collected those that had gotten stuck in the forest after time had run out.

Finally, the last eight would fight. Either to the death or until they were no longer able to fight, Genkai didn't care. The fights would be decided by lots. Manea, hidden in the rafters, fired eight arrows to land in front of the remaining eight. Then, the fights began. First was a young man with orange hair against the samurai. Their fight lasted fairly long, the young man manifesting a spirit sword to claim the win. The next two were over quick, the small monk and the ninja winning each of their matches. Finally, it was the man who had the strongest spirit strength against the boy who kept calling Genkai grandma. The man had a strange helmet that raised his spiritual awareness at the cost of his senses. At first, he was throwing the boy around with ease. However, he lost when the boy stuck Genkai's cigaret into his belt and landed a hit, which he called his "spirit gun".

Genkai led them out to the ancient battlefield where men had gone insane and slaughtered their companions. The air was infused with energy, strengthening the remaining competitors. The first match of the semifinals was the boy vs the ninja. The match was close, the boy winning by sheer dumb luck. But, as Genkai said, winning was winning. Next was the orange haired boy and the monk. At first, it had seemed the boy would win, but the monk used a strange chant to shrink him, torturously squeezing him, breaking first his right arm then crushing his rib-cage. When Genkai called the match, the monk smirked and threw the boy. His companions searched the area, having no luck until the monk restored his original size. His body was twisted, most of the bones in his upper body broken.

The black haired boy started yelling at the monk. "This one's for Kuwabara!" His fist slammed into the small monk's cheek, sending him flying. "And I've got ninety nine more for the psychics you've killed." He rushed at the monk, landing hit after hit.

Genkai called Manea over, her appearance startling the blue haired girl that hovered over him. _Manea. Heal him, I'm not sure he'll survive with these wounds._ Manea nodded, holding her hands first over his head to heal any damage that may have occurred. Her hands glowed a deep red as she moved them over his body. Cuts knitted together, bruises faded. Bones shifted painfully back into place before reconnecting.

Suddenly, the ground started shaking. Cracks split the earth and a strange looking demon rose from the depths. He approached the boy, whom was hardly able to remain standing.

"Are you ready to fight, Urameshi? Because I am, whenever you are." Manea frowned down at Kuwabara. He was still unconscious.

"Hmph. Even unconscious that boy has a one track mind."

Urameshi ran at the demon, throwing punch after punch. Yet, none of them seemed to even affect this demon's new form. The demon, having "decided on which technique to use" opened his mouth, and sparkly strings came out, surrounding Urameshi.

"What are those?" the bluenett gasped, covering her mouth in surprise.

"Life force strings. A very archaic form of materialised spirit energy, no doubt taken from an ancient psychic." The strings merged together, forming a light blue cloth like creation. It weaved around Urameshi, attaching to him even though he tried to dodge it.

"Ugh. I can't move." Urameshi struggled to break free.

The demon used the strange cloth to throw Urameshi around, yelling questions about it still being boring.

The bluenett begged Genkai to stop, telling her that the demon would come after her next. "I will not. The winner of this fight will become my student, and it would be wrong to interfere. My power must be passed on, even if it has to remain in the hands of evil for a while." the girl tried to argue with her, but to no success. Genkai was determined, progress must be made even if one didn't like the for it took.

"So, how do you feel?"

"Why do you keep asking that? I'm hanging upside down from a tree, you freak." the demon started chanting, his hands clasped in front of his face. "Why do I get the feeling he's not doing that to be cute?" The marsh water bubbled, a blue demonic fish leaping out, just barely missing Urameshi. More circled beneath the water. "What are those?"

"I brought them from the depths of Spirit World. They're called Hate fish. It's a technique I created, they're uncontrollable and very fierce. Watch." The demon threw a small demon at Urameshi, returning him to his normal size and causing him to fall into the waiting fish to be ripped apart. The demon was somehow able to fire a spirit gun, purposefully missing Urameshi's face.

"He must have learned that from watching Yusuke doing it only once." the bluenett worried.

"And it was many times more deadly. This creature's adaptability and knowledge of the human spirit is incredible."

"It's awful!"

"If he does learn my power, he will no doubt take it further than I could ever go."

The demon fired at the tree branch Yusuke was hanging from, causing him to fall to the fish waiting below. "THIS IS DUMB!" Yusuke yelled, right before hitting the water. Seconds later, a soul emerged from Kuwabara, flying into the murky water. A minute passed, and light exploded from the water.

"That's Yusuke's energy." the blue haired girl exclaimed in amazement.

"All he needed. Was a good. Insult." the still unconscious Kuwabara muttered. Manea stood up, having healed him as much as she was able and moved to stand by Genkai as the older woman smiled at the unmoving boy.

The demon aimed his spirit gun at the water. "Now COME OUT!" The water was still, those watching in anticipation.

"Yusuke, you will have to breath soon." The blue haired girl said. Bubbles floated to the surface, the demon laughing and firing at the spot.

"Funny thing about swamps," Yusuke's voice yelled as he emerged from a pool behind the demon, pointing his spirit gun. "They're just always connected to another one."

"Don't talk, Yusuke! Just shoot."

"And, as for my spirit gun technique. You're doing it all wrong!" His body glowed.

"Does he have enough strength?" The bluenett worried.

The demon pointed his own spirit gun at the detective, "You hold too much back." Yusuke yelled as he fired his spirit gun, the demon firing at the same time. The two attacks collided, sparks flying. At first, it seemed the demon's attack was stronger, but Yusuke's went through the other, hitting the demon straight in the chest. Yusuke fell to his knees as the demon was thrown into the water. "Sure you can use it more than once, but you lose the good old stopping power.

Everyone relaxed, quietly celebrating Yusuke's victory. Suddenly, energy shot from the water, expanding until the small pond was completely dried. "You have caused me pain. I do not like that." The demon attacked Yusuke, punching and kicking. "Well, this boy's attack injured me more than I thought. I barely have the energy to destroy him." The demon started the chant he had used on Kuwabara.

"We've already suffered enough with Kuwabara. I can't stand to see this again." The bluenett whispered.

The demon finished his chant. Smirking and saying something about pain, oblivious to his own shrinking.

"He is a slave to his own technique. It is the law that the matter released by this has to be released. If there is no victim, the caster goes boom." Genkai smirked as she and the bluenett stood over him.

"Are you blind? That boy was clearly my victim!" the demon yelled.

"The way a chant works is by entering the brain through the ears and changing the cells. All a reasonably smart fighter has to do, is cover his ears." Lectured Genkai.

"But if I didn't know that, how did he?" The diminutive demon questioned.

Yusuke sat up, looking confused as the bluenett asked if he was alright. "Why is everything so muffled?" He reached up, pulling green algae from his ear. "Swamp algae! Yuck!"

"You know the mechanics of your techniques, but without proper training, you will never be able to properly use them."

"Shut up, you old hag! All I have to do is reverse the chant!"

Yusuke stood up. "Do you really think I'm going to let you do that? Although, at this point, even with you shrunk, I still don't have the energy to punch you. So, I guess I'll just let gravity do it's job." The demon tried running as Yusuke fell, his elbow slamming into the demon's back. Yusuke rolled off of him, "And that, boys and girls, is my super elbow drop."

"Winner of the Genkai tournament, Yusuke Urameshi."

The bluenett held the diminutive demon, "I guess I should get Rando back to Spirit World before he wakes up."

"You should also take Kuwabara."

"To Spirit World?" Yusuke questioned Genkai.

"No dimwit, to his house. I've finished what Manea couldn't and restored him completely."

"Wow," said Yusuke, "That spirit wave sounds pretty cool."

"I'm glad you approve, since you'll be learning it for the next six months."

"Nah, I'll have to get back to you on that, old lady. Now, about my real prize, a first class ticket to Tokyo Dome." Yusuke turned to the bluenett, holding out his hand.

"Oh, you remembered that?"

"Well, of course! What did you think this was, community service?"

"Sorry Yusuke, but you're not allowed to go. The entire purpose of that tournament was to choose my student. Do you really think, after all that mess, that I'd let you have a choice about it?" Yusuke looked crushed.

"But, my ticket!"

"Yes, you'll need to have someone go in your place."

"But… The battle match." Yusuke collapsed onto his back.

Genkai sighed, "This is going to be a long six months."

* * *

 **Final note. I would like some opinions. I'm not sure if I want to make Manea into a shadow demon or a dragon demon. I would absolutely love a little help deciding. Thanks, loves! ~Bunny**


	3. Training

**Bunny here with your daily announcement! We get to see more of Manea in this chapter, as well as see her first "fight", if you can even call it that. Once again, I own none of Yu Yu Hakusho, only my character. Please don't sue me, I'm broke.**

 **I would like to thank Boo** **kwormStrawberry for reviewing. I'm super happy you're enjoying it so far, and I hope you like the new chapter.**

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Yusuke. Wake up, Yusuke." The boy in question groaned, burying his head deeper under his blanket. Someone gently shook him, continuing to try to wake him. Upon finding it was of no use, there was a sigh as the hand that had been shaking him withdrew. Then, without any notice, Yusuke was lifted and thrown at a wall.

"What was that for?" Yusuke yelled, looking at his attacker from his upside down position against a wall ten feet from where he had slept. Next to his bed stood a demon. At only 4'4, she stood only one inch taller than Genkai. Her crimson hair, though messy from sleep, was just as fluffy as always. She wore purple pajama shorts with little yellow ducks and a bright yellow tank top. Bunny slippers covered her feet, one of which was tapping with irritation.

"Yusuke," her melodic voice scolded, "you were expected almost half an hour ago. Genkai-sama isn't happy. This isn't a very good way to start your training. Especially when she allowed you a day for recovery. By the way, you should be grateful, Yusuke, that I was the one to wake you. Genkai was going to drop a large pan on you." Manea had walked over to him as she spoke, kneeling to look him in the eye. Then, she stood, grabbed his right ankle, and dragged him from the room. "Because of your late start, Genkai has decided you won't be getting breakfast." With that, she threw him into Genkai's large dojo.

"What? I don't get to eat? Why the hell not?" Yusuke jumped up where where he had landed. "And how the hell are you strong enough to throw me around like I'm a pillow?" He pointed a finger in Manea's face.

"Because, dimwit, you slept in. So, your punishment is that you don't get breakfast. As for your second question, that is up to Manea to tell you." Manea smiled and grabbed Yusuke's finger, bending it backwards, stopping just short of breaking it.

"Yusuke, the answer to that is quite simple: I'm a demon." Yusuke's eyes widened as he tried to back away but was unable to remove his finger from her grip. "Careful, Yusuke. You don't want your finger to get ripped off." Manea smiled serenely at him, letting go and causing him to fall onto his back.

"WHAT? Hey, old lady, why do you have a freaking demon running around your house?" Yusuke crawled back to his feet, getting in a fighting stance.

"Because, she cooks and cleans. Now, since you look ready to fight, how about you fight her. If you can knock her down in thirty minutes, you can have breakfast. If you can't you'll sleep with snakes for a week." Yusuke's eyes widened then narrowed in determination. He nodded in agreement. "Careful, dimwit, Manea isn't very good at holding back." With that, she turned and walked away, sitting by the nearest wall. The nearest wall, of course, being a good twenty feet away.

"Don't worry, Genkai-sama. I won't kill your student." Manea slid into fighting stance. Her left side was to Yusuke, arm out and fingers loose. Her right hand was by her face, fingers curled into claws. "You can start whenever you're ready, Yusuke." A small smile graced her face.

Yusuke ran at her, arm pulled back to prepare for a punch. Before he could connect, she stepped forward and to her right, back hand snapping out and hitting Yusuke's throat with a knife hand. He clutched at his throat, gasping for air. Not giving him a second to rest, Manea brought her other hand down onto his shoulder, cracking his collar bone. She moved behind him, jumping slightly and slamming her knee into his back. She dropped into a low stance, sweeping his feet out from beneath him, landing him on his back. Stepping up, she placed her foot on his neck. "Come on Yusuke. You can do better than that." She removed her foot and gave him a hand up, still smiling kindly.

"Again!" Genkai yelled from her place, somehow having gotten a cup of tea.

Yusuke glared at her, getting back into position as Manea did the same. They circled for a minute, waiting to see if the other would attack. Finally, beginning to get irritated, Yusuke rushed her again. She side stepped once more, Yusuke going to defend his upper body. Instead, she dropped low. A kick connected with the back of his knee, sending him off balance. It was quickly followed by another, this one delivered to the back of his head. "Gah!" Yusuke fell forward, barely catching himself before he face planted.

A small giggle was heard from above. Looking at Manea, he saw that same smile gracing her face. Now he noticed something else, her eyes had become strange. While they were never normal, now they looked completely inhuman. Where her eyes should have been white was black. The red and gold seemed to glow. "Come on, Yusuke. Get up. I'm starting to have fun." Her usually melodic voice too had changed. While still soft, now it was almost a whisper on the wind. Something so quiet, so soft, it should have been hard to hear. Instead, it swam around his head, dizzying him. Impossible to ignore.

"Control yourself! Manea!" Genkai yelled from her position, now standing.

"No worries, Genkai-sama. I promised I won't kill him. I just want to see what he can take. Now, Yusuke, you should really defend." With no other warning, she ran at him. Rather than attacking, though, she allowed him to throw his punches, dodging each one. "Come now, Yusuke. You should be stronger than that. Can't you aim better?" She taunted him. As their dance continued, she would occasionally flick a hand out, barely brushing him and yet sending him flying. She giggled, the kind smile never leaving her face. In fact, if one were to look at her as she grabbed his hand, they would think she was helping someone who had tripped over himself. Until, that is, she threw him to the other side of the large dojo. "Yusuke, can't you land even one hit? I'll even stand still for you, if that helps."

"Stop being so cocky!" Yusuke ran at her again, throwing a punch at her face. And, like she had promised, she didn't move. He landed his first hit. Her head barely moved.

"Really Yusuke, I would have expected a better hit." Manea sighed.

"Time's up." Genkai walked over, putting a hand on Manea's shoulder. "Dimwit, never underestimate your opponent." She handed Manea her tea cup. "Now, your real training starts."

Over the next six months, Genkai practically tortured Yusuke with her training. She made good on her bet she had made with him that first day, making him sleep with snakes for the next week. They would balance on spikes for hours, held up only with the spirit wave. Genkai had Manea keep an area of coals red hot, making Yusuke meditate on them for a week straight. She replaced his normal bed with one made of nails. She locked him in a cave for four weeks. Again and again, she had him fight Manea. Never once did he win. She would make him block point blank energy attacks to build up his blocking techniques.

Finally, the six months were over. Yusuke was allowed to go home, for now.

* * *

Manea walked along the road, on her way to the train station to get home. She had just finished buying groceries for the month and was trying to make the next train. A large explosion was heard, people screamed as a parking garage suddenly crashed. She heard those around her saying it must have been an earthquake, even though no one had felt the earth move. Manea, however, could feel the demonic energy coming from there. Yusuke's energy was there, too. She was torn on what she should do. On one hand, Yusuke may be in trouble. On the other, she needed to get the ice cream home before it melted too bad. Before she made a decision, the strange demonic energy and disappeared, and Yusuke left the area. Manea heaved a sigh of relief, continuing to the train station.

Upon arriving back at the temple, she told Genkai about what had happened. The old woman looked worried. Genkai opened her mouth to say something, only to be interrupted by a portal being opened in the room. Both Genkai and Manea assumed fighting stances, only for Genkai to relax upon seeing a baby walk through.

"To what do I owe the honor, Koenma?" Genkai looked at the toddler, raising an eyebrow. Manea just stared at him, relaxing only when Genkai shot her a look. "Before we begin, perhaps we should do introductions. Manea, this is Koenma, prince of Spirit World. Koenma, this is Manea, my assistant." Manea nodded her head at the miniscule prince, receiving a nod in return.

"It's a pleasure. Now, Genkai, about what I came here for. We have a problem. Yusuke has been _invited_ to the Dark Tournament in two months. I don't think he's ready for something like that, but there isn't really a choice." Genkai nodded, her brow furrowed.

"I'll train him until it's time to leave. Manea, go grab the dimwit."

"Yes! Genkai-sama!" Manea turned, her form fading into a black mist, causing Koenma to look shocked.

"How on earth did you acquire a Shadow, Genkai? And where is her mate?"

Genkai chuckled, "I found a lost puppy one day. As for her mate, I have no clue. Though, I do know they couldn't be officially mated, she hasn't even reached maturity yet." Koenma nodded.

"This could be a problem, Genkai. You know how Shadows get when they lose their chosen mates." Genkai merely grunted, going to prepare her next torture for the dimwit.


	4. The Arrival

**Bunny here! I just wanted to say I'm grateful to everyone that has been reading my story. However, and I never thought I'd say this since I hate it when others do, I'm probably not going to post chapters as quickly as I've been doing if I don't get any reviews. So far, I've gotten one. If I don't know people enjoy the story, what's the point of continuing to update as often as I can? So, please, review. For me?**

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Yusuke sat at the entrance to the temple, waiting for Genkai. She had told him she had their fifth fighter, but wouldn't say who it was. Hearing the sounds of footsteps, he turned around to see Manea walking with a person whose face was covered. "Yo, Manea. Are you going to be our other fighter?"

Manea smiled, shaking her head. "No, silly. He is." She pointed to the masked person. "I'm coming as your team doctor!" She gave Yusuke a thumbs up, smirking. The masked fighter nudged her, then continued down the stairs.

A grizzled old man limped toward the groups of demons, walking with a slight limp and a pipe in his mouth. "The ships ready to be boarded. Lets all get on without making too much violence, shall we?"

Kuwabara started mildly panicking "Ugh, wait a minute, sir. Our team still has some stragglers!"

The old man smirked, "Then we'll have to put a mark on their heads and send out a hit-man. Standard procedure."

"Now, now. That's not necessary." Yusuke appeared from the back, Manea and the Masked fighter with him. "Sorry to keep you waiting, guys." The demons whispered among themselves, having recognized their newest bogeyman. "Man, these forest hikes really wipe me out."

Kuwabara looked him over, "Oh, yeah. You look really awful. Oh, wait, that's just you. Hehehe."

Hiei rushed at Yusuke, attacking him. Yusuke dodging every strike, catching the blade between his fingers. "Damn, Hiei. Is this how you say hello now?" Hiei smirked.

"I don't know where you've been all this time, but it seems you've improved a little bit."

Kuwabara was in shock. "Improved a _little_ bit? I'd say he improved a _lot_ a bit."

"Don't be discouraged," Kurama comforted, "The fact that you could keep up says that you've improved as well."

Standing up from his attack position, Hiei glanced over at the masked fighter. "So, I assume the little one over there is going to be the fifth member of our team?" Kuwabara ran over, questioning the fighter being smaller than Hiei.

"Trust me," Yusuke said, "That little one is going to be a lot of help."

"I don't know, he barely comes to my waist…" Kuwabara said doubtfully.

"Forget him, Yusuke and I are all that we'll require." Hiei gloated.

The captain, finally irritated at the disruption, ordered everyone on board. The masked fighter motioned Manea over, having her follow so she wouldn't get lost amongst the other demons. Upon seeing her, Hiei's eyes widened. His body shook, heart beat quicker. He could feel himself wanting to be closer to her, and had to forcibly stop himself after noticing he had taken an involuntary step forward.

Manea, however, had felt Hiei's energy growing stronger with every step they'd taken through the forest. Seeing him had nearly brought her to her knees, and she had to fight the instinct to run to him. Still, she watched him.

As the ship sailed on, Kuwabara complained about the lack of cute girls, having somehow missed Manea. His complaints were interrupted by the captain, saying they were going to have some entertainment. His hopes for dinner and dancing were crushed as the captain announced a preliminary battle, to be fought on the ship and to determine which one team would be moving on. As the stage rose, Kuwabara started freaking out about an earthquake.

"Fool. There can't be an _earth_ quake on the _water_." Hiei looked down on Kuwabara from his place standing on the rail, suspiciously close to where Manea sat.

The captain announced that fifteen teams had already been chosen, and the final team would be whoever's strongest fighter came out alive of the "battle royal".

Kuwabara, having been frightened by the large demons walking past, told Yusuke, that, as team leader, he should be the one to fight. However, Yusuke was asleep, and nothing Kuwabara did would wake him. At the question of who would fight with all the big monsters from Kuwabara, the masked fighter walked past.

"Hm. It seems we have a volunteer." Hiei watched the masked fighter make his way to the ring. "Good. I'm anxious to see what he can do."

"Are you serious? What if he loses? What will we do if we get booted from the tournament? Kuwabara yelled.

"If that happens, all we have to do is kill everyone on the boat. We'll say we are the right team, and no one will complain."

"You didn't have very many friends growing up, did you?" Manea laughed at this comment, finally drawing the attention of the tall orange haired boy. "Oh! I didn't notice you. You're from Genkai's temple, right?" Hiei's eyes sharpened, watching the exchange closely. Manea smiled slightly, nodding her head. "Uh, I guess I never go the chance to thank you for healing me." She just waved him off, her eyes following the masked fighter as he began facing off against the demons.

The demons attacked all at once, aiming for the masked fighter's head. He shot off an impressive spirit shotgun, shocking Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei and taking out all the demons at once. The remaining demons, angered at their loss, began attacking the team, having come to the same conclusion as Hiei.

"I think they stole my idea. We'll have to make them pay very dearly for that." Hiei all but snarled. Kurama pulled a rose from his hair, forming his infamous rose whip. Hiei drew his sword, Kuwabara powering his up. Manea remained seated, watching as the all jumped into action.

A large demon, having noticed Yusuke asleep with a seemingly weak female next to him went rushing over, planning on having the glory of taking out the spirit detective. Manea went to stand, but before she could even get halfway up, Hiei had already taken the demon's head. She smiled hesitantly at him, reseating herself. Hiei looked away, the slightest hint of red on his face from her smile. For the rest of the battle, he took out the demons surrounding the two of them, never allowing one to come close enough to even catch her scent. However, one demon got past him. The demon was knocked away by Yusuke.

"That's a relief, he's finally awake." Kuwabara said, looking around.

"No, fool. He's sleeping." Hiei insulted him.

"Right now?"

"Quit you stupid old lady!" And, with that, Yusuke once again sat.

"Even in his slumber he's still reliving his training. His preparation should make us all jealous."

Kuwabara looked suspiciously at the masked fighter. "But, she wouldn't fight without her own reasons."

"What is he mumbling about?" Kurama wondered.

"Hn. He's trying to talk in his sleep while he's awake."

Manea looked as Yusuke with uncertainty. She didn't want to be the next person that he accidentally attacked, thinking it was Genkai. And so, she stood and moved away.

"Hey, wait. What happened to the fight we were just in?" Kuwabara looked around.

"Everyone's dead." Hiei followed Manea.

She smiled at him. "Hello Hiei. Long time no see." He didn't say anything in reply, just stood next to her and watched her. "What have you been up to? Aside from being caught like I had said you would be." Hiei growled, grabbing the front of her coat and lifting her. Manea giggled and whispered, "I've missed you as well Hiei. Are you really going to kiss me? In front of your friends?"

Before he could reply, a large hand grabbed his wrist, attempting to remove it. "Hey shrimp! You shouldn't attack a lady like that!"

"Remove your hand from me before I do it for you." Hiei glared up at Kuwabara. "I will do whatever I wish with that which belongs to me." Kuwabara removed his hand, shock written on his face.

Manea smiled at him. "Don't worry, I can handle him." She winked and waved him away. Hiei turned his glare to her.

"You were supposed to stay away. You should have gone back to Makai, back to your people." Manea rolled her eyes at him.

"I knew it was something like that. You little idiot. You know better than anyone I don't need protecting. Not even from Spirit World." Manea scolded harshly. He loosened his grip, his hand now sitting limply over her heart.

"You know they would have gone after you had I not cut ties. Enma wouldn't have cared if you weren't apart of the plan." His eyes softened slightly, only enough for her to see.

Upon arriving at the hotel, Kuwabara was shocked. A bellhop approached them, and offered to lead them to their room. "I don't know about this place. I never trust grown ups dressed that fancy." Kuwabara looked around, noticing all eyes were on them.

They were guided to their room, Hiei and Manea walking at the back with Kurama and Kuwabara glancing back at them.  
"Gotta hand it to em. They sure know how to make stuff pretty. I've never seen this much rich stuff in my life!" Kuwabara exclaimed. A knock was heard at the door, a bellhop bringing them six cups of coffee. "Careful, those fancy guys might be trying to poison us."

Kurama lifted a glass. "Does that really make sense, Kuwabara? Do you really think they would bring us all the way here, just to poison us?"

"They organisers want to see us fight. They'll save their murder attempts for tomorrow." Hiei said from his place beside Manea.

Kuwabara rummaged around in his bag, pulling out a can of coffee. "You guys can have that if you want. I'm sticking with the trusty old aluminium."

Confusion ensued as Kurama noticed there was only one on the table, rather than the two that should have been there. Slurping was heard, and as everyone turned, a small boy with three pink stars under his eye was found. He sat on a cabinet, sipping on the coffee. Kuwabara accused him of being in the room before they entered, though the boy denied it, saying he had come in after, like a good boy. Manea stopped listening after that, her attention diverted to her thigh, where Hiei's hand had gripped in surprise.

"Don't you think you're talking too much?" Hiei's hand tightened, slipping farther up her thigh as he turned to see the owner of the new voice. Manea's breathing became more difficult, and she found it harder to concentrate on what was being said. She did notice, however, when the new demon focused on her. A strange look crossed his face, his scent becoming stronger and muskier. He smirked. "So, you brought a toy, did you? Don't worry, I'll take you off their hands, show you how a real demon **plays**." She shuddered at his voice as he spoke to her. Hiei stood, putting himself between them, hiding her from the new demon's view.

The young boy followed the blond demon out the door, though before they left the remaining coffee cup was mysteriously cut in half. They all relaxed slightly, Kurama noticing Hiei's position of protection. He raised an eyebrow at the fire demon, getting a glare in return.

Manea stood on shaky legs, "I think I'm going to take a shower and go to bed." She brushed some hair out of her eyes.

Hiei moved to follow her, only to be stopped by Kuwabara. "What do you think you're doin', shrimp?"

"I'm going to sleep in my room. Which, incidentally, is the same as hers." He jerked his arm from the offending hand. He stalked to the largest room, the one that had it's own bathroom, and slammed the door behind him. Walking to the bathroom, he opened the door to see Manea about to step into the shower. She froze and watched him with wide eyes. He removed his clothing, stepping past her into the warm spray. "Well, aren't you going to bathe?" She nodded, looking him over.

His body, though it hadn't changed much since she last saw him, was much more muscular. He had, quite obviously, taken to training more vigorously, having previously thought his strength was more than what was needed in the Human Realm. She stepped into the shower, lathering a rag and using it to wash his back, allowing her fingers to trail past the cloth. A shiver ran down his spine and he spun around, pinning her to a wall.

"I've missed you, Hiei." She whispered, reaching a hand up, bringing his face to hers. He growled low in his throat, one hand going under her ass as he lifted her, her legs going around his waist.

Kurama raised his eyebrows, his superior hearing allowing him to know what was going on in the bathroom.


	5. The Tournament

**To my most recent review, Lavi-Hime, the reason I'm posting this chapter: I already have plans for after the anime, but I wanted to go through the anime as well. I'm not really planning on spending much time on details (we've all seen the anime, I don't really feel like changing much...). As far as a lemon goes, I'll try, though I want to let you know, it'll be the first I've ever written.  
Also, I just wanted to give you a bit of info on Manea. I named her after the Etruscan Goddess, Manea. She is a Goddess of the dead, and ruled the Underworld. Also, her name is pronounced as Mania; **an excessive enthusiasm or desire; an obsession. **  
Finally, I own nothing but Manea. Please don't sue me, I'm broke.**

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Koto, the cat demon announcer, announced the two teams. Team Rokuyokai entered the arena to loud applause and cheering. Team Urameshi, to booing and death threats.

The five fighters walked onto the fighting arena, Manea staying back on the grassy circle surrounding it. The team leaders -Kuwabara taking Yusuke's place, as he was still unconscious- were asked to decide how the fights were to proceed, settling on a one-on-one. The first fighters were decided to be Rinku, the child that had entered their room the night before, and Kuwabara.

The fight stretched on, every time it seemed Rinku would win, Kuwabara would just get back up. Kuwabara revealed how far he had come in his training, able to produce two swords at once and to control the size of them. Eventually, they were both thrown from the ring. Rinku made it back first, and used his yo yos to hold Kuwabara down. The first fight went to Team Rokuyokai.

Next was Kurama vs Roto, a demon able to morph his finger into a sickle. Manea watched the fight with trepidation. She didn't know Kurama that well, but she knew he was a friend of sorts to Hiei. And, he wasn't fighting back. She knew, of course, that he had done something. She could feel his energy in the other demon, growing with every touch. Still, she feared he would die before his plans had blossomed. Suddenly, Roto froze and started to beg Kurama for his life, saying he wouldn't have really done it, whatever it was. Then, a plant bloomed from inside his body, killing him from the inside. **Pretty** , Manea thought. **Best to stay on his positive side, though. I'd rather not become a vase**.

From the other team, the strange blond demon from the night before stepped into the ring. From his position, he locked eyes on her. Looking her over from top to bottom, he licked his lips and smirked. From beside her, she felt Hiei tense. A soft growl tore from his throat and he marched to the ring.

Before they started fighting, Hiei informed Zeru that he understood his abilities. Using heat energy to split the cup, but it had been done messily as one side had been improperly melted. Zeru came back with a shot at Hiei's Jagan eye.

"Oh, goodness. That's not very good. Hiei does so dislike it when someone insults the Jagan Eye. Or, is it that the Jagan Eye hates it when it's insulted… I can never remember. Maybe it's both." Manea mumbled to herself, receiving strange looks from the rest of the team.

"And FIGHT!" Koto brought a hand down, signaling the beginning of the fight. Immediately, Zeru released a large amount of fire, causing Koto to fall from the ring and killing many audience members. Hiei, however, stood impassively. Zeru threw fire at Hiei, causing him to dodge in midair. Landing back in the ring, Zeru smirked at Hiei.

"What, too frightened to continue to talk?" Zeru created a ball of fire in his hand, bouncing it slightly.

"Actually, I'm bored" Hiei replied with a blank face.

Angrily, Zeru released immense amounts of heat into the air above him, then pulled it back into his body until he started glowing like a poker.

He charged forward, shoving a hand through Hiei's stomach. Manea muffled a scream, her hands covering her mouth. Tears pricked at her eyes. Zeru threw a ball at Hiei, his scorched body falling to the ground. "HIEI! Get up, Hiei!" Manea screamed, running toward the ring only to be stopped by Kurama's arm around her waist. "No! Let me go! Hiei!" Manea struggled to break loose, but Kurama's grip only tightened.

"Hmph. What a weak thing. You can rest in Hell." Zeru turned and walked away to Koto exclaiming about his skills.

"Yes." Flames erupted as Hiei stood. "He's so talented, I'm reluctant to make the kill." Zeru froze in shock.

"What? How could you?"

Hiei chuckled darkly, activating his Jagan Eye. "My Jagan Eye might not be natural, but it does give me exactly what I need!" Black flames covered his arm. "You know, it's impossible to control it completely. Once I release it I have no say. I have the power to pull you into oblivion. I assume just my right arm will do. You should never have insulted the Jagan Eye. You see, it almost has a mind of it's own. Resisting it is not something I would do." Hiei released the Darkness technique, throwing a flaming black dragon at Zeru, leaving nothing but a scorch mark on the arena walls. Hiei walked off the ring as Koto announced Team Urameshi's second win. One more was all they needed.

Manea stood up as Hiei walked toward her, hands on her hips. "Oh, I ought to kill you for scaring me like that!" She glared at him as he sat, not using his scorched right arm. She sighed and joined him on the ground. "What were you thinking, using the Darkness Technique? You could have been killed!" She barely touched his uninjured hand causing him to glare at her and move it away.

"My thoughts are of no concern to you. I won, and that's all that matters." He turned his eyes to the ring where the next competitor, a drunk with a blue mohawk, and ignored her stares.

Yusuke, finally woken by the smell of alcohol, jumped into the ring. The drunk fighter, Chu, explained he was only bad at paper, rock, scissors and that was the reason he was the substitute fighter. Stumbling around, Chu's energy rose as he drank a bottle of Ogre Killer, the strongest alcohol in Makai. They fought, exchanging blow for blow, one never getting the better of the other. Finally it was decided they would do a knife edge death match. Punches were exchanged, their bare heels slicing deeper one the knives. Finally, with a brutal headbutt, Yusuke knocked Chu out cold, claiming the final win for Team Urameshi.

Hiei sat on a cliff by the ocean, clutching his arm in agony. Manea sat by him, sorrow on her face for being told to not help. For hours they sat there, Hiei trying and failing to move his hand. Finally getting fed up, Manea grabbed his hand, wincing as he yelped in pain. She slapped his other hand away, telling him to remain still. Her hands glowed a deep red as she placed one hand on his wrist, the other at his elbow, bringing the topmost down. The pain lessened, nerves being repaired beneath the surface. "There's not much more I can do, Hiei. But, I will make it less painful for you to fight this." She leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on his lips, "I know you can do it. After all, I could never have a weak Mate." Standing, she turned to return to the rooms.

She paused, startled, when she heard his soft voice, "Thank you." Smiling, she continued without turning back.

The next day, Manea sat in the stands with the girls she had been introduced to the previous night when Hiei hadn't returned. Botan: Yusuke's assistant, Keiko: Yusuke's "friend", and Shizuru: Kuwabara's elder sister. As the fight started, neither Hiei or Kurama had shown up. The fight was a three-on-three, with the masked fighter, Yusuke, and Kuwabara fighting three members of team Ichigaki. The fight ended, after many strange moments, with the masked fighter -revealed to be a young woman- used the spirit wave to destroy the strange machines attached to the chests of the opponents.

Through unfair decisions, it was decided Team Urameshi would fight against Team Mashotsukai immediately following their win. Kuwabara was deemed unfit to fight due to his injuries. A strange woman, claiming to be a nurse, put a force field around the masked fighter and Hiei, causing Manea to almost storm the arena and rip her hands off for touching him. However, she was held back by Shizuru's hand on her shoulder. And so, she sat there, glaring at the woman.

Kurama faced off first against a strange clown man, covered in paint. His strange paint, it turned out, had the power to immobilize his opponent, thus making it difficult for Kurama to move. Through force of will, he was able to use his Rose Whip with his hair to injure the demon enough that he bled to death. However, it turned out that the paint the demon had used was made of his blood, which Kurama was now covered in. With his dying breath, the demon sealed Kurama's spirit energy.

In the next fight the paint demon was replaced by the ice demon, Toya. Kurama was able to break free of the paralysis. Toya striked at Kurama many times, never able to get a good hit. Finally, in a show of desperation, Kurama planted a plant into his own body, using it to defeat Toya, falling unconscious.

A large, brown skinned demon with many scars stepped up next, refusing to allow Kurama to leave the ring. He pounded him into the ground, time after time. Stopping only when Yusuke threatened to shoot him in retaliation, Kurama was lowered off the stage as Yusuke replaced him. After blowing away the demon's gross sweat fog, Yusuk took to ruthlessly beating him as he had done to Kurama, showing him no mercy.

A demon that controlled the wind replaced the other, announcing himself as Jin. The fight was mostly airborne. Yusuke lost on a technicality. From her place in the stands Manea scoffed, **They must be getting desperate, to pull a move like that**. Keiko shouted angrily, yelling death threats at the demons around them when they told her to shut it. The three surrounding her laughed, though they did get her to calm slightly.

The final fight was between the other team's leader, Risho, and Kuwabara. Risho was proven to be an earth demon, batting Kuwabara around like a kitten with a string. But, with each time he fell, Kuwabara stood. Finally, just as it looked like Kuwabara might lose, a blue haired demoness entered, yelling for him to get up. Filled with energy anew, he finally defeated the enemy, scoring another victory for Team Urameshi.

The new demoness turned out to be named Yukina, an ice maiden they had rescued from a human who wanted to use her tear gems to make money. Seeing her crimson eyes, Manea poked at Hiei's mind.

" **What**?" A growl was heard in her mind.

" **Is that her? Is she the one we had been searching for?** "

" **Hn.** " Manea smiled slightly as she watched the demoness' interaction with the orange haired human. He seemed quite smitten. And, from the protective anger she could feel pouring from a certain fire demon, there was no doubt as to who this girl was.

Yusuke walked in, a strange blue penguin sitting on his head. It was announced that this adorable, fluffy little creature was his spirit beast. In other words, his true self. He was severely mocked.

The next day, Team Urameshi faced off against their next opponents, Yusuke missing-in-action. A pair of dice were used to decide the match-ups. Hiei fought first, pitted against a large, ugly demon. He quickly dispatched the hideous demon, going on to fight a second round.

The second demon was somehow able to change his form using little balls of smoke. **What kind of drug is that? Angel dust**? Manea projected her thoughts to Hiei, unable to hear the other demon speaking as she sat in the spectator seats once again.

 **Don't distract me**. As the demon changed his form to a wolf like one, Hiei's attacks stopped working. Finally, Hiei coated his sword with the Darkness Flame, eliminating his target.

Kurama fought against a strange boy with a fishing pole he used as a whip. Fog filled a forcefield that covered the ring, revealing Kurama's true form as it dissipated. Youko attempted to interrogate the small demon, but it was killed by it's own teammate.

Kuwabara was chosen as the next fighter, quickly disappearing through a strange cloth. The masked fighter stepped up next, quickly revealed to be Genkai, thus calling into question the legality of the match, as she had previously been shown as a young girl. It was explained as her body returning to when she was in her prime, and the fight began. Using his sword, Shishiwakamaru released a swarm of ghost skulls, which killed many in the audience. After he locked Genkai and himself into a box, she was able to turn his attack against him, winning him the fight.

Kuwabara arrives just in time to fight the final man, an old man named Onji. He was quickly overwhelmed through the use of the strange cloth. **Again**? Manea nearly face palmed. The old man revealed himself to be, in fact Suzuki. **Another clown? What's up with these people and clowns**? Does he use freaky blood paint too? That's just gross. Manea shuddered at the idea. Genkai was chosen as the next fighter. He attacked Genkai using a rainbow attack. It seemed almost like she had been hit, though she revealed she was unharmed and had even grabbed his red nose. He was outraged, attacking Genkai with all his strength. She beat him into the dirt with ease.

Hiei sat, once again, on the cliff overlooking the ocean. He practiced his control, seeming to move easier with each passing hour. Manea sat on a boulder, monitoring his energy levels. They were interrupted by Genkai's arrival. She asked for Manea to follow her as she had something to tell her.

They walked through the forest in silence before coming to a small clearing. Genkai turned to her, her face more serious than Manea had ever seen it.

"I've always known, I believe, that He would be the cause of my death. From the day we won this damned tournament and he asked to be made a demon, I knew. The time has come. I don't want you to fight him, no matter what."

Growing angry, Manea shook. "Why not? I could kill him, easily! You don't have to die, Genkai-sama."

"Stupid child!" Genkai turned to her with a glare. "Yusuke must be the one to defeat him, you should know that already." She sighed, sitting on a rock. "I'm old, Manea. I've lived a long life, I have no regrets."

"I know that! I do. But, I don't want to lose you, Genkai-sama!" Tears filled her eyes as she knelt in front of Genkai, taking hold of the older woman's hands. "But, I know this is important to you. So, I'll restrain myself. As hard as it will be, I won't destroy him." Genkai smiled. As she opened her mouth to say something else, they both became aware of a presence approaching them. Genkai shooed her away, not wanting her to see what was to come.

The final round began, Koenma taking the vacant place on Team Urameshi. The first fight began with Kurama going against Karasu, a demon who created invisible bombs. The fight progressed with Kurama being overwhelmed, his plants doing little against the bombs. Kurama ate a strange fruit, allowing him to revert to his true form as Youko. With this, the tides turned in favor of Team Urameshi. Karasu was overrun by Youko's plants, unable to properly defend himself. Karasu removes his mask, becoming immensely more powerful. For a moment it seemed he had killed Youko. Youko was able to stand, though the fruit wore off, reverting him back to his human form. The battle ended strangely, the victor, Karasu, was dead while Kurama lost on a technicality.

Hiei fought next, going up against Bui, a man covered in armor and wielding a massive axe. Hiei was able to deal with the attacks with almost no effort, forcing Bui to remove his armor. Hiei released the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, which was redirected back at him by Bui. In a stroke of genius, Hiei absorbed the Darkness, increasing his fighting ability and allowing him to win. As the fight's results were announced, Hiei went into hibernation and an intermission was called until the ring was replaced.

Manea rushed to the medical area, violently throwing the doctor that had been going to work on Hiei out the door. The rest of the team arrived immediately after, looking at her strangely. **That seems to happen a lot** , she thought with a sweat drop.

"Well, it seems like you've got everything taken care of in here. We will be able to finish the fight in peace, knowing Hiei is in safe hands." Kurama smiled at her from his position by the door.

"Wait a second! What's going on between you and the shrimp over there? You two are always acting strangely, and I wanna know what's up." Kuwabara pointed a finger in her face.

Smiling, Manea reached up and grabbed his finger, bending it back and stopping just short of breaking it. He struggled, unable to remove his finger from her small grip. "That information is on a need to know basis, and you don't need to know."

"Alright, alright! Let go!" She released him, pushing slightly to make him move away.

Loud booming noises were heard as the ground shook. Soon after, they were called back to the arena, Yusuke and Kuwabara leaving first. Manea opened her mouth to tell Kurama he was fine to leave, as she could protect Hiei just fine, when she was distracted by movement coming from his bed. Seeing him sitting up, she tackled him in a hug, Kurama leaving without either of them noticing.

"I'm so glad you're ok! I'm so proud of you, I knew you could do it!" She squeezed her arms around his neck slightly tighter, pressing herself against him. His arms snaked around her waist, pulling her even closer.

"As much as I would like to continue, there is a fight going on and I would like to find out first hand whether or not I'll have to fight for our lives." He pushed her away gently, moving crimson hair from in front of her eyes. She sighed but got off of him, running her hand gently down his chest. He growled, his eyes darkening when her hand stopped at the top of his pants. "We'll finish this after we win." They stood, moving out as one.

Kuwabara's fight was going strong when they arrived, the elder Toguro brother taunting him about Genkai's death. Kuwabara's attacks strengthened, though they seemed to have no affect with his opponent's regenerative abilities. Eventually, using a strange sword handle, he was able to literally squish the elder Toguro, gaining his win.

Finally, it was Yusuke against the younger Toguro. The elder, just before the fight started, revealed himself only to be kicked out of the arena by the younger. The fight begins, Yusuke using his Spirit Gun to blast the younger Toguro out of the arena, only for him to return unharmed. Yusuke then revealed that he had on spirit cuffs, limiting his energy. Upon removing them, his energy was powerful enough to kill some of the weaker demons. Yusuke attacks with a barrage of punches, his opponent still seeming uninjured. Toguro upped his power to one hundred percent, pummeling Yusuke. Strangely, Puu flew up, revealed to be Genkai possessing the creature. She told Toguro that, in order for Yusuke to bring out his true strength, Toguro would have to kill one of his friends. Kuwabara volunteered, and was shortly killed. Yusuke's power soars, and Toguro responds by releasing one hundred and twenty percent of his power. Yusuke shoots one final Spirit Gun. Toguro managed to block it, only to crumble in defeat upon its completion.

"Hey, good job, Urameshi!" Yusuke looked over in shock to see Kuwabara alive. "Heh, yeah, I'm surprised too. He didn't really hit any vital spots, and Manea healed me up good while you were distracted." Yusuke got a huge smile on his face, running over as if to hug him -Kuwabara actually opening his arms- only to punch him and call him an idiot.

"Well, it seems I lost." Attention was drawn to the last man standing on the opponent's side. Sakyo, their team owner, stood calmly with a remote in his hand. With the press of the button, walls surrounded the arena, a self destruct countdown beginning.

The demons began freaking out as Team Urameshi, as well as friends from their former battles, began attacking the wall, trying to create a hole. With only seconds to spare, they were successful and all but Sakyo made it out alive.

Finally, they stood at the harbor, waiting to board first. Keiko was lecturing Yusuke about his performance and nearly getting killed. Kuwabara was regaling Yukina with tales of his battles, even those she had been there to witness. Kurama stood slightly off to the side, reading a textbook. Hiei and Manea were nowhere to be seen, having already slipped on board unnoticed, to celebrate alone.


	6. Lemon

**Ok, here it is. My first ever time writing smut. Constructive criticism is VASTLY appreciated. Seriously. I would like to thank Quinn Anderson and her post on here titled _The Ultimate Guide to Writing Smut Fic,_ because without it, I wouldn't have been able to get even this. Also, seriously, this is smut. If you're not of a legal age to read it, don't.**

Manea gasped as she was slammed against the wall, her neck assaulted by sucking bites. Her fingers grasped his shoulders while his bruised her hips. "Hiei," she twined her fingers through his hair, jerking his face up. "Kiss me, Hiei." Smirking, he did just that. Bites were delivered, tongues tasting blood as they fought for dominance. Tops were ripped off and discarded. Manea flipped them, sinking to her knees. She unbuttoned his pants, looking up at him as she slipped her hands inside.

She flicked her tongue over his slit, lapping up what had already begun to drip. Hiei stroked her hair, burying his hands and pulling slightly. She licked from tip to base and back again, fondling his balls with one hand. Hiei slammed his head back as he was suddenly engulfed in a wet heat. She swirled her tongue as she moved her head forward until he touched the back of her throat, hollowing her cheeks as she pulled back. Her hand rubbed the base of his cock, moving in time with her mouth to cover anything she couldn't fit. With a growl, Hiei pulled her up and removed her skirt. He lifted her as she locked her legs around his waist, carrying her to the bed.

Hiei lowered them to the bed, nestled between her legs and his hands going to massage her breasts. Once again, he ravaged her neck. Biting her collarbone, he slowly worked his way to her nipples, sucking one into his mouth and rolling it with his tongue. Switching sides, Hiei's unoccupied hand slipped down her body, caressing along the top of her panties. Manea took a deep, shuddering breath, her hands fisted in the sheet. Hiei's hand slipped lower, stroking her through the silk barrier. Then, with a sharp tug, he ripped her panties off, leaving red marks on her hips.

Hiei sunk lower on her body, kissing and nipping as he went. He paused at her belly button, swirling his tongue in it and causing Manea to moan quietly. He smirked up at her, "You're so wet for me." He leaned down, lapping up her overflowing juices. She keened as he inserted one finger, tongue swirling around her clit. Hiei added a second finger, curling them up as he pulled them out. She whimpered, reaching down to stop him from removing his hand. "Are my fingers really all you want, Manea?" Hiei purred from between her legs.

"Please, Hiei! I need you. Please," Manea begged. Hiei smirked, rising above her. He teased her entrance, pressing against it and then withdrawing but never entering. "Fuck, Hiei. Please."

Hiei sunk into her, burying himself to the hilt. He dug his fingers into her hips, raising her up as he pounded his hips into hers. Manea reached up to him, caressing his cheek before guiding him down to claim his lips with her own.

Hiei pulled away, flipping her over and pulling her to her knees. Without a pause, he slammed into Manea again. "AH! There, Hiei! God, yes. Fuck, there." Manea cried out as Hiei aimed for that spot. Far too soon, waves of fire washed over Manea. Hiei's rhythm grew erratic, his pace increasing as his own orgasm sparked through him.

Hiei lay to the side, pulling Manea closer and nuzzling into her chest. She purred as she stroked his hair, their legs tangle together.


	7. New Psychics

**Alright, everyone! The next chapter is up! Please leave a review and as always, I own nothing, so please don't sue me. I'm broke.**

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From her position on the roof, Manea stared at the two boys bowing before Genkai, asking her to help their friend, whose soul had left his body. **It's strange** , Manea thought, swinging her legs over the edge. **Humans don't usually acquire psychic abilities that quickly. It takes years of hard work, and even then they can only become powerful if they have the talent for it.**

"Manea!" Genkai called, startling the three boys in front of her. "I need you to see if there are many more new psychics. See if you can find out why, as well. As for you three, follow me. We'll begin immediately." Genkai turned, walking into the dojo without looking back to ensure they followed. The three looked around, catching only a glimpse of black mist.

Although most of the humans couldn't see them, demon insects flew unmanaged through the city. Spirit energy was constantly flaring, even if it wasn't constantly active. As she walked around, Manea noticed little fights going on in back alleyways. Two or more people would activate their strange powers, and then fight. **This is stupid. They don't know what they're doing and are going to end up hurting themselves. Or worse, they're going to end up killing someone**. Manea turned away from one such fight, not wanting to get involved, and returned to Genkai's Temple.

"It's as you feared, Genkai-sama. Many people seem to have recently discovered psychic abilities. They haven't taken much time to start fighting, either. Disgusting." The three boys jumped, squeaking quietly, at her sudden appearance. Genkai looked over at her calmly, sighing.

"I thought so. Did you find out why?" Manea nodded, moving to sit on a meditation pillow.

"You're being much nicer to these three than you were to Yusuke. Allowing them pillows instead of a fire," Manea mused to herself, not noticing the paling of the three she sat next to. "Now, in answer to your question. Yes and no. I was able to determine that someone is trying to copy Sakyo's deplorable idea to create a hole into Demon world. Demon insects have already started an infestation of the city. Unfortunately, whoever is doing this has covered their tracks very well. I don't have the faintest idea who it is. It's really irritating, but that's all I know for now, Genkai-sama." Genkai nodded, her face becoming mildly concerned.

"Master Genkai? I don't mean to sound rude, but who is she?" The blond haired boy questioned, the other two nodding in agreeance to the question.

"Boys, this is Manea. She is my assistant as well as a demon. Be polite to her, she could rip your head off without you even knowing you had died until you found yourself in Spirit World. Manea, these are my new apprentices." She pointed to the blonde, "Kido Asado, his power is over shadows." The boy whose hair stuck up like a broom, "Yanagisawa Mitsunari, he can copy whoever he touches, everything down to their spirit's imprint." The last boy, the one with freckles and glasses, "And finally, Kaito Yuu. In his territory, he is able to set taboo words, which if said can steal a person's soul. The idiot tried it on himself today." Manea covered her mouth to stifle a giggle as Kaito's face went bright red as he muttered about needing to know what happened.

"Master, I know you said she is a demon, but how? She looks completely human." Kaito spoke up, having finally calmed his flaming cheeks.

Manea stood as she turned to face the boys, shedding her human disguise. The whites of her eyes bled to black, horns curving out from above her now pointed ears. Spikes poked through her skin, two above each of her brows. The crystals hanging from her lip, ears and spiked leather collar glowed. Her haunting voice swept through the room, surrounding the three unprepared boys, leaving them paralyzed. Even Genkai had goosebumps breakout over her body at the sound. "Silly little boys. You should never judge someone based off of how they look. Isn't there a human saying? 'Never judge a book by its cover?' A word of warning, with demons, especially the more powerful, not all is as it seems." With a smile, she returned to her human form. All four humans gave a silent sigh of relief.

Genkai cleared her throat, nodding. "Manea is right. Never judge someone based off of looks only. Now, it's getting late. Go home, but come back tomorrow after you get out of school." With that, she turned and left.

Manea growled to herself as she watched Hiei's soul leave his body. "Idiot." Genkai watched her out of the corner of her eye. "He would think that any human would be too weak to take him out. Idiot."

Genkai chuckled lowly, "I guess he hasn't learned to not judge based on appearances." Manea agreed with her, irritation rolling off her in waves.

Kuwabara followed shortly after, though his mistake was an innocent one. Botan slipped in confusion. Now with the the souls of his allies caught, Kurama suggested a new game. After a set amount of time, a new letter would become taboo, starting with Z. When only B and A were left, Kurama surprised Kaito, making a silly face and causing the latter to laugh. This caused his territory to steal his soul, and return those of Hiei, Kuwabara and Botan.

As they climbed the seemingly endless stairs, Yana grabbed Kuwabara, copying him. After stealing his clothing, Yana threw Kuwabara into the room Genkai and Manea were in. Manea smiled in greeting, Genkai helping him to stand.

"Hey, what's going on? Why are you two here? Did those freaks capture you too?" Kuwabara glared at the door angrily. "I'll get them, don't worry. I'll get you two out of here, then I'll help rescue Urameshi." He stomped over to the door, stopping at Genkai's voice.

"Actually, I am the one that came up with this." She explained the situation to him, including why Yana was required to take his clothing. Kurama crossed his arms, nodding as he agreed with Genkai on why it was necessary. The phone in the room rang, Kido informing them that he was almost ready for them. Only a few minutes later, the door opened, Genkai exiting first as she explained to the dimwit why it was all necessary. Kuwabara followed, trying (and failing) to look cool. Except, of course, he was still in only his boxers. Manea exited last, smiling at Hiei as they locked eyes.

 **You knew about this, and didn't tell me**? Hiei's voice in her head growled at her.

 **You needed to learn. You always assume that, just because someone is human, they can't be strong. You can't always rush into something sword first**. Manea's cheeks reddened slightly at the image he put into her head of his 'sword' rushing into something. **Hiei! Now is not the time for that**!

 **It's been too long, Manea. Almost a month since the tournament, and I've not seen you since**. Hiei glared slightly at her, neither paying attention to the conversation going on around them.

 **I have been getting… twitchy lately. Are you coming upon your Maturity soon, Hiei?** Before he could answer, Genkai got their attention, commenting that a hole had been opened.

"Hn. If there really was a hole, we would have already taken it." Hiei argued.

A beeping noise was heard, Botan commenting that it must be Koenma. "Hello Botan, is Yusuke with you? It's an emergency!"

Genkai stepped up, "We're all here, Koenma. Wanna tell us about the border tunnel?"

"Ah, Genkai, I forgot I brought you back to life."

"You're a bit slow on the uptake this time. It seems whoever is doing this used the lull after a tournament to catch even you off guard," Genkai said.

"That's right. In the last month, thirty humans have come to the temple to ask Genkai-sama for help after suddenly finding themselves to have supernatural powers." Manea leaned over Genkai's shoulder to look at the toddler on the screen.

Genkai took over, glancing to Yana and Kido. "These two are prime examples. Though their abilities vary they all share one thing: They all come from Mushiyori City."

Koenma crossed his arms, frowning as he considered the situation. "An itsy, bitsy part of me is glad its influence hasn't stretched any farther. But, that also means it's advanced to stage two." Upon the confusion from most of the people present, Koenma explained further. "There are four stages to such an apocalyptic breach. In the first stage, demon energy thickens in the Human World, allowing demon parasites to thrive. As the size increases, we move to stage two, in which normal humans find themselves with unusual powers. Stage three is where things really heat up. Demon energy floods the streets, and low class monsters spawn at will. They aren't smart, or strong, but they are excessively violent. In the fourth and final stage, the the border tunnel breach stabilizes at two kilometers, allowing total passage."

"Total passage to who?" Botan asked, her hands shaking.

"Yeah, who all am I going to have to fight?" Yusuke questioned.

"With a breach that big, all demons up to C and B class will be able to pass through en masse."

"Classes?" Yusuke asked, worry covering his face.

"Classes rank every demon according to their power. I never told you this, because there wasn't any point," Koenma began. "But, here's a nifty frame of reference. All the demons in the upper level B class are the same strength as Toguro."

"Toguro was just a B class?" A look of pure fear clouded Yusuke's eyes. "He nearly killed us all, and he's just a B class?"

"Demon world is extremely vast. In fact, there are some depths to it that Spirit world has no control over."  
"I never knew that…" Botan looked at the screen, eyes wide.

"Think of the Demon world as a giant underground building. Basement after basement stretching downward into an infinite void. Out of all that, we only control half of the first level. We have had to hold our ground and advance slowly, century after century. We can't afford to anger the B class, A class, or super A class demons." A dark look came over his eyes. "Not even my father and his armies could defeat the S class demons."

"Koenma, you and I both know King Yama isn't the idle type. I'm sure you've taken precautions." Genkai said.

"Sure. To seal off the pseudo space around demon world, Spirit world has raised a powerful Kekai barrier. In order to make it large enough, we had to stretch it out, like a net. B class demons can still pass through, but A and S class demons are held at bay."

"How could you sign off on a plan like that?" Yusuke vented at Koenma, "You intentionally made it so that hundreds of demons, like Toguro, can prance on over here at once?"

"Yusuke, imagine the alternative. If just one S class demon crossed into the Human world…"

Kuwabara, after having everything explained as he couldn't hear due to the loss of his spirit power, started freaking out. He only stopped when Genkai ordered him to calm down, reminding everyone that she needed to rescue Kaito.

Genkai returned Kaito's soul to his body using the spirit wave technique. He sat up, looking around the room. "Heh. A full house. I assume everything went according to your plan, Master Genkai?"

"You played your part well. You lost, but it was a stirring introduction." Kurama told Kaito.

"I wasn't playing along. I wanted to defeat you. For once I wanted you to lose, but I'll just have to wait a little longer." Kaito glared slightly at Kurama from his place on the floor.

"Nice thinking, brain boy." Yusuke said sarcastically. "You put your soul on the line because he's beating you on some math quizzes? What if Grandma hadn't been here to save you?" Manea laughed at his scolding, still slightly miffed that Kaito had taken Hiei's soul.

"Simple," Genkai informed. "He would have faded into nothing. Kaito is a risk taker, that's why these three came to me for help. He'd removed his own soul, and they didn't know how to put it back. A soul is fragile. Without a body or ghost to protect it, in one full day it would break apart."

"Real discovery takes risk. I had to know what would happen if I broke my own rule." Kaito stood. "Let me introduce myself formally to the group. My name is Kaito Yuu, I have the power of Taboo."  
"My name is Kido Asado. My power is Shadow."

"Yanagisawa Mitsunari, and I call my talent Copy."

"Like I told you, they all live in Mushiyori city. It's been over a month since they've discovered their powers and there are many more like them." Genkai moved over to stand in front of her students.

The beeping sounded again, Koenma not wasting any time. "We've calculated the growth. As is, the tunnel will reach stage four in three weeks. The only way to stop it, is to destroy the psychic creating it. You don't use a drill to create this kind of hole."

Yusuke began yelling on how now he only needed to turn the psychic's brain to mush, and demanding the new psychics show him the hole. Genkai flipped him on his back, yelling at him to learn from his mistakes. She told him he had to understand his enemy's powers. "You have to answer three questions. One, how many fighters are there. Two, who is their leader. And three, what is the true nature of their powers. Without those answers, attacking would be suicide."

Hiei stepped forward. "Koenma, if these fools are done asking their questions, I have one of my own. In what class do you rank me? It's a fair question. If your spirit world lackies are going to place a letter on me, I deserve to know."

"Very well, Hiei. I will tell you. As I've said, the Toguro brothers were considered an upper B. As of the end of the tournament, you were ranked in the middle of B class." Hiei growled, angry at the thought of being underestimated. "For the record, when you fought Yusuke, you only had an upper D class ranking. In only a year, you've jumped up two full classes. An astounding feat, to be sure. You have much to be proud of."

Hiei turned to leave, "You already have your fox, your clown, and your hag. I'm a moot point. This is your world to look after, not mine. I don't intend to hinder your cause, I don't intend to help it either." He turned to Manea, lifting a brow.

"Go, Manea. It will be soon. I've noticed how you've been acting lately." Manea nodded at Genkai, running after Hiei.

"Well, go on. I won't shed a tear! I'm glad you're gone! He's the same selfish punk he was from the start. And Manea finally showed her true colours." Kuwabara grouched.

"Yeah, he's the same. He'll come rescue us in the end when we need him the most," Yusuke defended.

"I don't know what he'll do. Humanities destruction used to be Hiei's dream," Kurama replied.


	8. Chapter Black

**Ok, first, let me tell you all how much trouble this chapter gave me. I have so many ideas on how I want to expand on Hiei and Manea's relationship, but I couldn't get most of them to work. Also, let me just say that I hate the Chapter Black saga. Also, my least favorite character on Sensui's team is Mitarai. He's spineless, winy and I can't stand him. But, he's a part of the story. Meh. Oh well.  
Now, I want to thank three people; Have, because they reviewed and I appreciate that. ****Lavi-Hime and Slybabyblues because they gave me some ideas on what I should do. I hope you all like this chapter! And, as always, I own nothing but Manea. Please don't sue me, I'm broke.**

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Shizuru looked up in fear as the building above her exploded. Chunks of cement larger than a baseball rained down on her as the stair landing a floor up collapsed. She closed her eyes, knowing she wouldn't be able to avoid it. Then, she was floating. "So, this is what it feels like to die, huh?"

"Silly Shizuru. You're not dead." She opened her eyes to find herself held bridal style in the arms of a small, red haired girl with horns curving from her skull above her ears. Shizuru recognized the girl, but couldn't place where. "I'm Manea. We met at the tournament." The girl placed Shizuru's feet of the ground and helped her to stand. Manea looked Shizuru over, satisfied that she wasn't severely injured.

"Shizuru!" The two women looked over to see Keiko running toward them, Puu in her arms. "Are you alright?" Shizuru nodded.

"We have to get Kazuma back. They are after his power." Shizuru explained. "If we don't hurry, they'll capture him!"

Manea looked to Keiko, "You go ahead. We'll follow." Keiko nodded, running back to where the others were fighting. Wrapping an arm around Shizuru's waist, Manea lowered Shizuru to the ground. "Now, let me see your shoulder." Manea reached her now glowing hand up to Shizuru's shoulder. "Hm. This is a bit worse than I thought. No worries though, I'll get you healed."

"Haven't seen you around lately. What have you been up to?" Shizuru asked, attempting to distract herself.

Manea frowned, "I've been with Hiei since he left the guys and Genkai-sama at the mansion. He's been pouting fairly badly, since Koenma said he was only a lower B class.

"I followed Hiei after he stormed out of the mansion that night. He really wasn't happy, you know. He kept complaining about how he had worked so hard, and Spirit world was still underestimating him. I'll honestly say, I do agree with Hiei. He is currently much stronger than he seems. Of course, he himself doesn't know it any better than Spirit world. He hasn't reached his Maturity yet. Ah, that's when a demon's full potential is unlocked. It's sort of like a human's puberty, though it happens literally overnight. It's not always the most pleasant. For some, it's as simple as growing a few extra horns. For others, every bone in their body breaks and changes before reforming. You never know which you're going to get, of course, until it happens. It's also a sort of awakening. Until our Maturity, a demon isn't able to reproduce. Upon reaching Maturity, a demon is finally able to take a mate. It also allows them to access their Demon Energy in it's entirety. But, I guess that's not really important right now, huh?

"Anyway, as I was saying. Hiei had been throwing a bit of a fit after he left. We went to the park, as Hiei likes the trees there. It's a really big park, you know. If you go deep enough into the forested area, no one will notice a demon training. So, we went very deep into this forest, and Hiei decided it was a great idea to just start cutting down trees. He wasn't even training! He was just taking his frustrations out on the trees!"

* * *

Manea sat in a tall oak tree, watching as Hiei cut tree after tree. She knew there was no purpose to this other than to get his anger out. "Hiei. What did these trees ever do to you?"

"What are you going on about now?" Hiei froze, glaring up at Manea's tree.

"There's no point in destroying a forest, is all. If you want to take your anger out, I could always fight you." She smiled at him, jumping down lightly.

"And why would I want to fight you? I already know who would win, so it's pointless."

"Winning isn't the point, Hiei. It's just to get your frustrations out on something that will fight back." She stood in front of him, hands clasped behind her back. A grunt was all the warning she had before a sword was swung at her neck.

She bent backward to avoid the swing, placing one hand on the ground and lashing out at Hiei with a leg. He jumped up, her foot barely missing him. She stood, getting into her stance. Her left side was to him, arm out, palm up and fingers loose. The other hand was by her face, fingers clawed. He charged at her, his sword aimed at her middle. Her body swayed to the side, the blade slipping past. Her hand lashed out, palm hitting his wrist. He nearly dropped his sword. A patient smile graced Manea's lips. "Hiei. You'll never get anywhere if you don't get serious."

Hiei disappeared from Manea's sight, his speed increasing. Superficial cuts landed on her upper arms and legs. Manea giggled, dropping her human form. "About time, Hiei. But, I guess I should at least try, shouldn't I." Her whispery voice filled the clearing. Black mist escaped from her hand, shaping itself into a scythe. The pole was longer than Manea was tall, a sharp spike at the end. The blade seemed unable to hold its own shape. It was fuzzy, in focus one second, and then just a blur of mist the next.

It was Manea who attacked first, swinging and twirling her scythe in a deadly dance. Hiei, on the defensive, wasn't entirely able to dodge each swing. The misty blade was able to cut even without making direct contact with its target. Finding an opening, Hiei swung his katana and caught Manea in her right hip, hitting bone, only to be met with the end spike of Manea's scythe in his left thigh.

For two days they exchanged blows, neither gaining the advantage over the other. They fought until they collapsed next to each other, neither able to move. "Are you feeling better? Hiei?" Manea gasped out, trying to control her breathing. In response, Hiei merely reached over and grabbed her hand. They were silent for a few minutes. "Why won't you help them, Hiei? I know you consider them, perhaps not friends, but something close." Hiei released her hand, sitting up suddenly.

"Why ask that now? You now I don't care about the humans. They're weak. Unnecessary." Hiei turned his head away from Manea.

"I don't particularly like humans, either. But that doesn't mean that demons should be allowed loose. There are some good humans, Hiei. Take Keiko and Shizuru, for example. They have been kind to us, accepted us. And they would die. Is that what you want, Hiei? Even Kuwabara, Yusuke, and Kurama. They're human too, mostly. They may have a fighting chance, but we both know there are demons much too powerful for even them." Manea reached a hand out, turning Hiei to face her.

With a rush of wind, Hiei was on the other side of the clearing. "I will not help those fools. You may, if you want. You know I won't stop you." Manea sighed, standing slowly.

"Hiei, are you really going to leave saving the world to Kurama, Genkai-sama and those two idiots?" Manea watched Hiei, waiting for a response. When she received silence, she turned and ran toward where she could feel Genkai's spirit energy.

* * *

"And now, here we are!" Manea finished healing Shizuru. "It's just a patch job, we'll have to get Genkai-sama to help. I'm much better at tearing people apart than I am at putting them back together." Shizuru thanked her, running off in the direction Keiko had gone. Manea yelled after her, "Be careful! You don't want to reopen your wounds!" Manea sighed, knowing she had been ignored. "Guess I'll just wait here, then." She sat on the stair, just out of sight of people who had come to see what happened.

"It's a more serious explosion than I thought." Manea looked up at the sound of people running, seeing a teenage Koenma and Genkai running toward her. She stood, waving and following them.

Genkai nodded at Manea, not slowing her ascent. "Which means his power is all that more incredible. But why would Sensui not aim for Yusuke, and instead blow up the apartment?"

"He must be after Mitarai." Koenma answered. "But then if he can seek to kill his own men as easily as this… Would someone whose personality is so meticulous that it borders on the hysterical, allow himself to do something like this?"

They finally reached the apartment, smoke billowing out when they opened the door. Genkai raised her hands, sending a shockwave to blow the smoke away. They found Botan under a bookcase, a blond boy, Manea assumed this must be Mitarai, sitting against the wall across from her. Genkai threw the bookcase off the unconscious Botan before healing her back. Mitarai had a panic attack after explaining that she had pushed him out of the way when it was about to fall on him after the explosion. He couldn't understand why they were helping him, their enemy.

Before anyone could explain, Keiko ran into the room followed by Kurama, carrying Shizuru. Genkai had him lay Shizuru on the bed before moving to heal her. Slight confusion made its way to Genkai's face "It looks like she was already healed."

"I did, Genkai-sama. I know it wasn't a very good job, but it was all I could do. I did warn her to be careful, but apparently she didn't take my advice and reopened what little I was able to heal." Genkai nodded, repairing the damage.

"Why would you help me? I'm your enemy!" Manea's eye twitched as, once again, the boy panicked.  
"You were shown the Chapter Black video to brainwash you." Manea perked up as Mitarai denied it. She knew that Hiei had wanted that video for quite some time now. She thought it was silly, of course. But, there everyone had their opinions as to what made good television.

Shizuru sat up with a groan and asked what had happened to her brother. Kurama explained that he had been captured, and that their power hadn't been enough to stop it. Koenma expressed his confusion as to why they needed him. "It's because his power to cut through dimensions was awakened in his fight with me." Mitarai explained, sitting in a corner. "Sensui's been looking for someone with that ability even before."

"What?" Koenma's head jerked over to look at the boy. "You mean that with kuwabara's ability, they could even cut through the periphery field over the hole to the Demon world? Once the hole to the Demon world is complete, then A class demons and even S class demons could freely enter the Human world!"

"We can't leave this all up to Yusuke, can we?" Genkai questioned. At Kurama's statement that they would have to go as well, Genkai nodded. "Let's contact Kaito and Yanagisawa, as well. Keiko and Shizuru, would you stay behind and take care of things here?"

"What should I do?" All eyes moved to the corner of the room to Mitarai.

"Choose whatever path you want. If you choose a path that opposed to ours, that's fine too." Kurama said.

Manea leaned down next to Mitarai, eyes glowing. "But, if you do, the next time we meet will be as enemies, and I'll show you no mercy." With that, Kurama, Botan, Koenma, Genkai and Manea left.

"There are probably onlookers out front, so we should take the emergency exit." Kurama reasoned.

"Wait for me!" The five looked back, unsurprised to see Mitarai following them. He fell, unable to completely support his own weight. "Would you guys let me walk the same path as you?"

Manea walked up to him, extending a hand and smiling, "Need a hand?"


	9. The End

Manea sat on the tailgate of the truck, just outside the cave. The fighting had been going on for hours. The little boy Genkai had brought out of the cave, after he was revived by Koenma, had already woken and been annoying everyone. No demons had excited the caves, though strong demon energy could be felt.

Genkai's head shot up, tears streaming down her face. Manea placed a hand on her shoulder, silently comforting the old woman. She had lost so many, and yet life continued to break her down. The scent of Demon world grew, intoxicating to Manea in its aroma. She had to fight against every instinct in her when she felt Hiei's energy enter Demon world, following Kurama and Kuwabara closely.

"Do you feel that, Genkai-sama?" Manea's hand tightened on Genkai's shoulder as she leaned forward in anticipation. "Yusuke's back! Should've known that little punk wouldn't stay dead. It's just not in him." Her demonic eyes looked down to the shorter woman. A smile graced Genkai's wrinkled face.

"Hmph. That dimwit doesn't know what's good for him."

And so they waited. Hours past, the sun began to rise in the East. Keiko sat in the truck, the child asleep on her lap. Manea lounged in the branches of a nearby tree. Genkai stood before the entrance to the caves, arms crossed and a stern look on her face.

Finally, after what seemed like eons to those waiting, four figures made their way out. Keiko ran to Yusuke, throwing her arms around him and crying. Genkai stood next to them, a proud smile on her face for but a second, before it was replaced with her usual stern look.

Manea jumped down from her place in the tree, walking slowly over to where Hiei and Kurama stood. She smiled at Kurama, who nodded at her before walking over to talk to Botan and Koenma. Leaning against Hiei, Manea leaned her head on his shoulder. "Welcome back, Hiei." Hiei merely grunted, moving the two of them to join the group.

Yusuke pointed a finger at Hiei, shouting, "Holy shit! Did shorty seriously just grab Manea's ass?"

* * *

 **Alright. I'm so sorry this hasn't been updated recently. I seriously just can't get any motivation to write this right now. I'm ending it here, though I have more in the works for Hiei and Manea. I'll be posting a teaser chapter in a new story, so don't worry my loyal minions. There will be more.**


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